September 2024 marked the 10 year anniversary of the Climate Solutions Accelerator. To celebrate, we hosted partners, volunteers, co-founders, and supporters at Event 180 in downtown Rochester for drinks, food, “vintage” merch giveaways, and reflections on a decade of organized climate action.

In fiscal year 2024–2025, the Accelerator focused on strengthening its development efforts to build support from a diverse network of donors, corporate partners, and grant opportunities.

This year’s development highlights included growth in corporate sponsorship of the Climate Solutions Summit, with 60 sponsors driving a $4,000 increase over the previous year. New sponsors represented a range of sectors, including finance, technology, civic organizations, and marketing, reflecting strong cross-sector collaboration for a shared mission.

The Accelerator also secured crucial grant funding that advanced several strategic initiatives. The Sands Family Foundation provided capacity-building support, enabling the organization to hire a full-time grant writer for the first time, fulfilling one of its Wildly Important Goals. The John and Margaret Sinclaire Foundation supported Color Your Community Green team grants and startup funds, while the ESL Charitable Foundation and M&T Bank backed the Accelerator’s partnership with the Urban Institute to identify locally relevant policy solutions for the “split incentive problem” and increase access to clean energy technologies for renters. The Rochester Area Community Foundation continued its support as the backbone funder of the Genesee-FLX Climate Collective.

This recent growth demonstrates the community’s commitment to advancing local climate solutions. With new hires, including a Grants Manager, Communications & Events Manager, and a fourth Energy Advisor, the Accelerator significantly increased its capacity to engage with partners, support programs, and drive meaningful impact across the region.